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lisa_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I think the only way to enjoy this book is to just take the time and not expect anything to happen. It will take you on a ride through different times, perspectives, stories and deaths.
This book was definitely weird. In a good way but still quite strange..
And also suuuper queer! Like pretty much every important character was a queer woman. I enjoyed that but it got to a point where it was a bit ridiculous (but also it fitted into the story perfectly and made total sense)
My favourite thing about this book is the formatting. I love the different fonts and especially the footnotes! (I love to see footnotes in books)
Also the illustrations are amazing! The yellow jackets were so cool and gave the book that extra something.
The narration was interesting but I did really enjoy it. It felt like a weird friend writing down a story for you and also like some Jane Austen esc writing.
My biggest problem was the length of the book. Especially in the middle it got quite boring and I wanted to quit a couple of times. Also the ending confused me. I mean it is a kind of open end and you can keep thinking about it which is cool..?
I don't think the book could have been shorter and still be the same. The whole feeling came from the whole mixture of it all. Still I get that this is definitely not for everyone.
There are also so many different perspectives. There are quite a lot of jumps between time and people. Also it's kind of about a movie about a book about a legend about a book.
I would say reading this is definitely an experience - and one you have to want. If you want to read a very sapphic book that is also a bit spooky and has some great illustrations: this is the book for you. Be warned though as it is very slow paced and it has a LOT of unanswered questions at the end.
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
writtenontheflyleaves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
đđđđđ
đ The plot: In the early 1900s, two students at Brookhants School for Girls fall in love, brought together by a controversial memoir. Soon after, they die gruesome deaths, and they aren't the last before the school is forced to close. Over a century later, the school is reopened to become the set of a Hollywood film about the tragedies - but will our three young heroines survive the school's infamous curse?
I knew within about 20 pages of picking up this book that I was going to love it. There were so many elements that reminded me of my favourite books - the pulpy horror of Grady Hendrix, the buoyant characterisation and LGBTQ rep of Casey McQuiston, the metafictional playfulness of Jess Walter. From the very first page it was fun.
Given the fact that the cast of main characters is five-strong across two timelines, it's no surprise that the plot moves pretty slowly, but I felt like I knew who every character was and their place in the story. There was real defiance in the way they were written, a refusal to let them be beaten into submission either by society or the reader's expectations. I actually really admire Danforth for letting her characters go to uncomfortable places and win the reader over later - there is no character who is uniformly likeable throughout, and a lot of times they were at their most real when they were being most frustrating!
This is a five star read for me for sure, but I will say that the ending was a liiiiittle bit of a letdown. I expected more of a showdown with the forces at work throughout the novel, and instead I got zero resolution, just a partial explanation. And like, that's fine. But also I wanted some drama!!! Sue me!!
đ Read it if you like any of the authors I mentioned above and want to be creeped out while also enjoying the company of a cast of brilliant queer characters.
đ« Avoid it if you want an out and out horror read (this is more creepy than horrific), if you hate unorthodox narration or spiky central characters (Merritt can be a... challenge...)
Moderate: Death
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Murder
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Car accident
wordwilderness's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Lesbophobia
maryy_r0se's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
In the early 1900s, a series of gruesome deaths occurrs at the the Brookhants School for Girls. Speculation runs rampant that these deaths are somehow connected to The Story of Mary MacLane, a radical new book that has several of the students transfixed. Headmistress Libbie Brookhants and teacher Alexandra Trills are stuck trying to protect the girls (and trying to protect themselves.) In present-day, Merritt Emmonsâ book about Brookhants is being adapted into a movie starring queer superstar Harper Harper and former child actress Audrey Wells. The women go to Brookhants to film and find its history is still alive.
This book was incredibly ambitious, and to me it more than succeeded. Despite being over 600 pages, I found myself wishing it was even longer because I enjoyed it so much and would have loved to learn even more about the schoolâs lore. The narration style and use of footnotes was so unique, and I fell in love with the characters (Audrey and Libbie were my personal faves!) After hearing this book somehow combined gothic, horror, comedy, and dark academia (and had all sapphic main characters), I had very high expectations, and I was elated to find that this book surpassed them. The tone is very unique and it certainly takes some getting used to, but I had such a fun time with this one.
(Aside from the content warnings mentioned below, this book also has a lot of horror surrounding wasps, so if you have any sort of wasp or bee phobia you may want to tread carefully!)
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
mallory10100's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, Sexual violence, Vomit, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
i highly recommend reading this :) at the start i was overwhelmed at the size of it, but itâs very much necessary for this storyjas_kv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ehmannky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I didn't particularly love the reveal of the source of the curse at the end, and would have preferred if it had stayed much more abstract, but the rest of the book is so good that it kind of renders that complaint to a far off and distant concern.
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Biphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Lesbophobia
rileyxchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual assault